This weekend, there was a great article in T Magazine about Miuccia Prada. There are so few designers that actually have something interesting to say about fashion, society, or culture. But, Miuccia always seems to deliver the most interesting points of view.

I’ve always been a huge Prada fan, but for some reason right now, I’m really obsessed with her design, her company, and theÂ mystique of the Prada world.

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Miuccia is such an inspiration for a young artist such as myself, and this article really hit that home. I particularly loved her discussion of feminism, Liz Taylor, and her work being a self-portrait. Her inquisitive nature and stedfast determination to be true to herself is inspiring.

I don’t argue that she is a great creative mind but Prada is not very relevant to influencing fashion right now as the brand only cares about selling leather goods. They could care less about clothing thats not an opinion it’s a truth.

Well J… thats not correct, i agree with you that Prada’s leather goods, shoes, bags ecc are what makes their brand name strong, but their clothing line its amazing, men suits, outerwear, women clothing its far from great, and its for sure not over, Prada in 2012-2013 its one of the clothing line that opened them most new stores around the world, so they are doing super, thanks to Miuccia’s design and Mr. Bertelli (her husband) business skills.

I’m “obsessed” with them since i had bought my first piece of the Linea Rossa collection back in 1998 and what they are doing still stirs me to date.

Imho there are two important sections in this article:

“Yet there may be an essence in Pradaâ€™s work that says no to self-satisfaction. It doesnâ€™t say: â€śYouâ€™re lovely. You deserve this. Youâ€™re worth it.â€ť It says something more like, â€śWho are you? Dare to find out. And dare to be otherwise.â€ť”

“The complication is that the people the Prada consumers often want to seduce are themselves. We want to test who we can be in an atmosphere not bloated with obvious effort. Pradaâ€™s clothes make you feel you are appearing at your most calm and your least demonstrative, which is a kind of freedom for people who yearn to look good but donâ€™t want the yearning to show.”

This is so true and at the same time it completely contradicts itself. The label has found a way to make people sizzle inside while waiting what kind of tools for projecting the self to yourself and to others it will offer next season.

They seem to be completely dried-out of an individual expression while they coat you with just that. Of course you cannot avoid making a statement because with that idea taken as a basis you are making a statement nonetheless.

Plus they are 100 percent design as they manage to take an idea to a logical prada-esque extreme with every turn and twist they manage to include, with every cross-refence, quote and irritation. Of course there is more i could go on about – cut, material, color, you name it. But it shall remain short a comment ;-)

I once sold a painting and treated myself to a pair of Prada trousers that were like pyjamas – I loved them. Bought them in Dublin and felt really sophisticated!
However, I needed the waist letting out a few years later and an ex friend who claimed to be a seamstress butchered them!
Love the photo for the article. Will read with much interest, thanks for sharing.

I like this photograph…and at first I thought it was a 1950s picture with the coat Miuccia Prada is wearing. She looks so classy in that coat. I’d love to have a coat like this in my collection, I may have to dig in my stash of Vogue Patterns to see if I got something that nearly matches. Then head over to Vogue Fabrics to see what kind of wools would work….

I, too, loved reading about her, Scott. And that quote about how its more important to know yourself than like yourself, “You can hate yourself!” is something I’ve been thinking about the last couple of days. I would hope that if one truly hated oneself that they could then change that in some way â€” knowing yourself is the first step to understanding why you are who you are.

And also, the clothes and what she said about how she designs them â€” and why she’s not bothered by copycats. Fascinating. Someday, perhaps, before I’m too old, I’ll own a little piece of Prada. But for now, it’s enough to see it worn by others.

Prada might be nice, but the designs are so simple in much of their items, the price is REDICULOUS. even Armani stuff costs less. case in point. they sell a silk piece of cloth 12×12# neck scarf for about $200

such a great read. i loved how she said that fashion was the worst place to be for a leftist feminist when she started so she’s actively geared the company towards other endeavors. gotta love a strong woman with even stronger convictions.

I totally agree with you. I read the article on Sunday and I, too, have become obsessed with all things Prada.
The person above who said Prada is over and you missed the train is obviously going in the wrong direction!

I believe that Miuccia is the intellectual’s designer. She lets her designs speak for themselves. She does not grandstand and need to be “seen” in order for her brand to be relevant. I find her to be very refreshing in today’s crop of self absorbed designers…